Kimchi Cauliflower Fried ‘Rice’

Hi friends!! It’s my first post of the New Year and it feels so good, especially because the topic is something near and dear to my heart…RICE!

When you grow up eating steamed rice with every meal, it’s almost inevitable that it will become your favorite food group. Oh it’s not a food group?! oh whoops. Well it’s the food that brings me the most comfort and that’s how I classify my food groups. Hehee. Whether I’m eating rice plain, fried, with sushi, in a soup, or as a dessert, it’s my absolute favorite. I grew up eating all filipino dishes with my hands, the way my mom taught me. And I would make sure that each bite I squished between my fingers and pushed into my mouth with my thumb had equal amounts of steamed rice and whatever else we were eating (sinigang, adobo, longginasa, kare kare, steamed Dungeness crab, fried fish, etc.).  I was always the one to finish eating last, going back for seconds and thirds on rice.

When you love rice this much, there comes a time when you need to find an occasional substitute. I mean, I still eat rice very regularly (and often with my hands), but during the month of January, also known as detox month, I spend a little more time on the less carbs side of the spectrum. So it’s nice to substitute a vegetable where a starch would normally be.

A few months ago, we started incorporating cauliflower rice into our dinner routines. We had made cauliflower mash before and had also used cauliflower to make soups creamy without adding cream.  But I hadn’t tried the rice form.

To make the rice texture, you simply place cauliflower florets into a food processor and pulse until broken down into rice sized pieces. So easy! From a texture perspective, it’s a really great substitute. And from a flavor perspective, it’s great too. Cauliflower has a very mild flavor so it can take on whatever you put with it, much like steamed rice.

If you don’t have a food processor or just need a little more time in your dinner routine, you can even buy riced cauliflower in grocery stores now in their refrigerated sections (usually next to fresh zucchini noodles or salad greens).

One of the best things about steamed rice is making fried rice the next day and topping with a fried egg (or two!). So when I made cauliflower rice the first time, I treated it just like I was making fried rice and I loved it!

Adding Kimchi is something I’ve been meaning to do with my real rice versions of fried rice too. It adds a great kick of flavor! If you haven’t eaten Kimchi it before, don’t be afraid. It’s a traditional Korean side dish made of fermented cabbage with onion, scallions, and a variety of spices.

This recipe is so easy!! All you need are 6 ingredients: Cauliflower, Kimchi, yellow onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, and eggs! There are also a few optional garnishes you can try: scallions, crushed red pepper flakes,  and sesame seeds.

And it comes together in only 10 minutes. What?! Yes!

This fried rice is great with veggies, eggs (obv), or any protein you want to pair it with. We’ve loved it with bok choy. And we’ve also been enjoying it as an addition in lettuce wraps. I hope you love it as much as we do.

Thanks for reading friends! And Happy New Year!!!

Valerie

Kimchi Cauliflower fried 'rice'

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups cauliflower rice*
• ½ cup kimchi, chopped
• ¼ cup yellow, finely chopped
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• Optional: Scallions, crushed red pepper flakes, black & white sesame seeds

Instructions

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the two eggs and set aside.
2. Heat canola oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium heat.
3. Add onion and kimchi and sauté for 3 minutes.
4. Add cauliflower and sauté for 3 minutes.
5. Add the whisked eggs, and stir to combine. Let sauté for 3-4 minutes until cooked through.
6. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil, stir to combine, and let sauté for 1 more minute.
7. Optional: Top with scallions, crushed red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

*To 'rice' cauliflower, place cauliflower florets into a food processor and pulse until broken down into rice sized pieces. This recipe is a small batch for 2 people. So if making for a crowd or you want to store some for later feel free to double or triple. You can also make this recipe without the kimchi. Just exclude.

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